Cash Cow

By PAUL DOYLE, pdoyle@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, September 24, 2011

As college athletics experiences an overhaul, one sport is doing all of the heavy lifting. The move toward larger conferences is fueled by football, the sport viewed as the revenue machine that carries Division I athletic departments all over the country. Some of the most venerable basketball programs — such as Big East Conference schools Georgetown and Villanova — are afterthoughts in the realignment talk because their football programs are not at the level of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS)

By DAVE DRURY, Special to The Courant and The Hartford Courant, October 16, 2013

ROCKY HILL — Incumbent Democrat Tim Moriarty touted his local roots and his record, while Republican challenger Henry Vasel pledged to provide the town with better leadership during the coming two years, during a lively, head-to-head debate between mayoral candidates Wednesday evening. The moderated session, lasting one hour, was sponsored by the Rocky Hill Chamber of Commerce. It marked the first time in several elections that the town's mayoral candidates sparred in a public forum.

By DAVE DRURY, Special to The Courant and The Hartford Courant, October 16, 2013

ROCKY HILL — Incumbent Democrat Tim Moriarty touted his local roots and his record, while Republican challenger Henry Vasel pledged to provide the town with better leadership during the coming two years, during a lively, head-to-head debate between mayoral candidates Wednesday evening. The moderated session, lasting one hour, was sponsored by the Rocky Hill Chamber of Commerce. It marked the first time in several elections that the town's mayoral candidates sparred in a public forum.

By JANICE PODSADA, jpodsada@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, November 17, 2011

Forget what the economists say — it's a bull market. At least it was in Austin, Texas this week when former First Daughter Luci Baines Johnson paid $150,000 for "Penny Bull," a life-size sculpture of a longhorn steer at the auction following the city's Cow Parade. It was the highest price ever paid for a Cow Parade sculpture — and it was made by Hartford artist Tao Labossiere. The one-of-a-kind art cows fetch about $7,500 each at auction, on average. Labossiere's cash cow is adorned with 10,000 pennies, glued to a life-size sculpture of a longhorn steer.

Xbox: Cash Cow Online retailers are cashing in on one of the holiday's hottest items, Microsoft's Xbox gaming console, by offering it almost exclusively in packages costing far more than the machine's $299 list price. A recent search on Mysimon.com, a shopping bot, returned 40 hits on Xbox -- and only one, Circuit City, was offering it at the list price. But this message awaited prospective buyers at the Circuit City website: "Not available for online purchase." More typical were packages costing $499.

Every cow has a story, but few of them are ever heard. One of the happier tales belongs to the Jackson Pollock cow, part of a 55-member herd of bovines coming to West Hartford Center in September for the CowParade public art exhibition. Pollock, whose full name is Mooove Over Jackson Pollock, started out as a plain white cow when it was delivered to the garage of a group home on Ardmore Street. A group of residents with mental retardation wrapped themselves in protective plastic and gave ol' Pollock the abstract expressionist touch.

By JANICE PODSADA, jpodsada@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, November 17, 2011

Forget what the economists say — it's a bull market. At least it was in Austin, Texas this week when former First Daughter Luci Baines Johnson paid $150,000 for "Penny Bull," a life-size sculpture of a longhorn steer at the auction following the city's Cow Parade. It was the highest price ever paid for a Cow Parade sculpture — and it was made by Hartford artist Tao Labossiere. The one-of-a-kind art cows fetch about $7,500 each at auction, on average. Labossiere's cash cow is adorned with 10,000 pennies, glued to a life-size sculpture of a longhorn steer.

Everyone knows Chris Dodd is waist deep in all that special interest money corrupting Washington. He took the dough from AIG and then couldn't find a way to block those bonus checks. The Quinnipaic poll says 80 percent of us have heard "a lot" about this poison cash. That apparently won't stop Dodd's two declared Republican challengers from milking the same cash cow. When Republican state Sen. Sam Caligiuri brought out the wife and kids on the front lawn the other day to announce his candidacy, it seemed the perfect wholesome, populist moment to renounce that kind of corrupting influence.

The artificial construct known as celebrity is right at home at a film festival, which raises its profile and profits with publicity, fame worship and fan-generated ticket sales. The Tribeca Film Festival, which recently took place in Lower Manhattan, is no different. In fact, it could be said that without the founding presence of international celebrity Robert De Niro, the festival, now in its fifth year, would not exist. So it seems a bit ironic that Tribeca featured several films that called into question the allure of fame, the power celebrities have over the non-famous and the psychological damages of fame, both on the famous and those in their orbit.

By PAUL DOYLE, pdoyle@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, September 24, 2011

As college athletics experiences an overhaul, one sport is doing all of the heavy lifting. The move toward larger conferences is fueled by football, the sport viewed as the revenue machine that carries Division I athletic departments all over the country. Some of the most venerable basketball programs — such as Big East Conference schools Georgetown and Villanova — are afterthoughts in the realignment talk because their football programs are not at the level of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS)

Everyone knows Chris Dodd is waist deep in all that special interest money corrupting Washington. He took the dough from AIG and then couldn't find a way to block those bonus checks. The Quinnipaic poll says 80 percent of us have heard "a lot" about this poison cash. That apparently won't stop Dodd's two declared Republican challengers from milking the same cash cow. When Republican state Sen. Sam Caligiuri brought out the wife and kids on the front lawn the other day to announce his candidacy, it seemed the perfect wholesome, populist moment to renounce that kind of corrupting influence.

UConn's Jim Calhoun coached 13 players currently in the NBA. Two have won NBA championships (Richard Hamilton and Ray Allen), one was rookie of the year (Emeka Okafor) and another sixth man of the year (Ben Gordon). Between them, they'll make about $76 million next season, with Okafor's new six-year, $72 million deal with Charlotte the latest highlight. "We were a school that didn't have a lot of kids [in the NBA]; now we have the most kids," Calhoun said Wednesday. "I think the money they are making is great, but it's really a testament to their achievements and hard work from the time they were here and since they've left.

The artificial construct known as celebrity is right at home at a film festival, which raises its profile and profits with publicity, fame worship and fan-generated ticket sales. The Tribeca Film Festival, which recently took place in Lower Manhattan, is no different. In fact, it could be said that without the founding presence of international celebrity Robert De Niro, the festival, now in its fifth year, would not exist. So it seems a bit ironic that Tribeca featured several films that called into question the allure of fame, the power celebrities have over the non-famous and the psychological damages of fame, both on the famous and those in their orbit.

With the exception of the Final Four site in New Orleans, Hartford was the most important address in women's basketball this month, as the city hosted three post-season tournaments. The economic impact was not quite the boon some merchants had anticipated. But it was clear as NCAA tournament officials left town Tuesday that Hartford did nothing but help its bid to make women's tournament basketball a permanent fixture of early spring in the capital city. "The city of Hartford opened their arms, I thought, to make this a very special event for the teams coming in," said Barbara Jacobs, the tournament manager for the NCAA regional games played at the Hartford Civic Center Saturday and Monday.

Every cow has a story, but few of them are ever heard. One of the happier tales belongs to the Jackson Pollock cow, part of a 55-member herd of bovines coming to West Hartford Center in September for the CowParade public art exhibition. Pollock, whose full name is Mooove Over Jackson Pollock, started out as a plain white cow when it was delivered to the garage of a group home on Ardmore Street. A group of residents with mental retardation wrapped themselves in protective plastic and gave ol' Pollock the abstract expressionist touch.

At the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia three years ago, among the corporate high rollers who kept the politicians well fed and entertained were Global Crossing, Enron and Tyco. Dozens of other corporations, many with business before Congress and federal regulatory boards, also contributed millions of dollars. It was no different at the Democratic soiree in Los Angeles. Everything from the sculptured-ice centerpieces to the stretch limos were paid for by monied interests.

A century ago, George Washington Plunkitt justified the cronyism and greed of Tammany Hall by distinguishing between "honest graft and dishonest graft." "I see my opportunities and I take `em," the New York City ward heeler boasted. The scandal swirling around the felonious deeds of Paul J. Silvester, when he was state treasurer, brings Mr. Plunkitt's words to mind. An array of consultants, "finders" and political fund-raisers saw their opportunities and took them. The extent of their gluttony was further dramatized last week, when state Treasurer Denise L. Nappier released a list of some of the investment companies that paid finder's fees and other compensation to people with connections for the privilege of securing state business.

At the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia three years ago, among the corporate high rollers who kept the politicians well fed and entertained were Global Crossing, Enron and Tyco. Dozens of other corporations, many with business before Congress and federal regulatory boards, also contributed millions of dollars. It was no different at the Democratic soiree in Los Angeles. Everything from the sculptured-ice centerpieces to the stretch limos were paid for by monied interests.

Xbox: Cash Cow Online retailers are cashing in on one of the holiday's hottest items, Microsoft's Xbox gaming console, by offering it almost exclusively in packages costing far more than the machine's $299 list price. A recent search on Mysimon.com, a shopping bot, returned 40 hits on Xbox -- and only one, Circuit City, was offering it at the list price. But this message awaited prospective buyers at the Circuit City website: "Not available for online purchase." More typical were packages costing $499.